The present invention relates to mountings for permitting fore-and-aft sliding movement of an idler for a track laying tractor track and more specifically relates to wear plates for use in such mountings.
It is known to support idlers for fore-and-aft sliding movement along track frames and to provide replaceable wear plates on one or the other of the idler support and the track frame at the area of sliding contact between the support and frame. Heretofore, these wear plates have been secured in place by welding, by bolts received in threaded holes provided in the wear plate or by other types of fasteners inserted through holes provided in the plates. Welding the wear plates in place is not very satisfactory from the standpoint of ease in replacement, and the idea of securing the wear plate in place by using bolts threaded into holes provided in the wear plates is not only relatively expensive due to drilling and tapping procedures but also is not satisfactory from the standpoint of economy in the use of material, since the wear plates must be made extra thick in order for the thread length to be sufficient for adequate securement. Other methods of securement requiring holes to be provided in the wear plates for receiving fasteners are either unsatisfactory from the standpoint of economy of material as the wear plates must be made long enough to dispose the holes out of the sliding range or the holes, if within the sliding range, result in accelerating the wear of the plates.